Concluding the final month of the regular season, senior center Madina Okot is playing her best basketball of her career heading into March. She is being recognized as The Daily Gamecock women's basketball Player of the Month for February due to her dominant play.
Okot has been the latest addition to a long line of dominant centers to play under head coach Dawn Staley. Okot spent two seasons playing in her home nation of Kenya for Zetech University prior to attending Mississippi State last season.
Coming off a week where she was recognized as co-SEC Player of the Week on Feb. 24, Okot continued to go to work and build on her success to finish the regular season.
In the final home game at Colonial Life Arena on Feb. 26, Okot had her best game as a Gamecock against Missouri. In just 20 minutes of action, Okot led all scorers with 26 points on 72.2% shooting, while also adding a season-high 17 rebounds in the blowout win.
Okot has not only been able to score in bunches, but her consistency has also been on full display this month. First in the Southeastern Conference and tied for second in the nation, Okot has recorded a career-high 20 double-doubles this season.
After being removed from the starting lineup earlier this season, Okot has settled into her role and turned pressure into confidence, anchoring the Gamecocks' lineup.
“It was totally giving her a look at the game, just take a little bit of pressure off of her because we're putting her in situations that we had players build to those moments,” Staley said.
Her efficiency and strength inside the paint are what brought Okot to South Carolina. In a 93-50 win against then-No. 19 Tennessee on Feb. 8, Okot was nearly perfect, scoring 10 points on 4-5 shots to go along with 16 rebounds.
"I'm just so grateful for my teammates and the coaching staff for being there for me, and I really needed the break to come off the bench," Okot said, "I had too much pressure, and (Staley) had to take it off of me for some time, and I'm back."
As the No. 3 Gamecocks (29-2, 15-1 SEC) wrapped up the regular season, the team clinched its fifth consecutive regular-season SEC title after the win against Missouri. Capping off February with her best performance, Okot will look to be a major factor for Staley in the postseason.
Okot and Mississippi State lost in the second round in both the SEC and NCAA tournament last season. Now a member of the Gamecocks, she has gotten a preview at winning a regular season SEC championship and will look to achieve the ultimate goal in April.
Down the stretch, the South Carolina women's basketball team has played its best basketball, going 7-0 in February, including four wins against ranked opponents. Okot in that span recorded only one game where she did not have a double-double.
As a Bulldog, Okot was a one-dimensional scorer thriving in the paint, shooting an SEC-leading 64.9%. This season, she's still scoring at a near 60% clip, but Okot has also developed a 3-point shot that she hit at a 63.5% clip in February. Last season, Okot did not attempt a 3-pointer. Against No. 17 Ole Miss, Okot made a career-high three shots from long range, while also shooting 100% on those attempts.
“Seeing Madina shoot with confidence and have confidence in the paint, we know we're going to win a game when Madina plays like that,” senior guard Ta’Niya Latson said.
As a result of Okot's improved shooting, she has become a much more prolific scorer, highlighted in the win against Missouri where she went on a 12-0 run by herself in the fourth quarter.
Without forwards Chloe Kitts or Ashlyn Watkins for the entire season, Okot has been relied upon at both ends to produce. Bringing the intensity of the defensive end, Okot leads the team in blocks, averaging 1.6 a contest for the season.
In wins against No. 17 Ole Miss and No. 25 Alabama, Okot tied her season-high of four blocks, which she has accomplished four times throughout the regular season.
Against rival No. 6 LSU, Okot was crucial when the game was on the line. She tied a season-high in free throws, making 4-4 from the line in addition to hauling in 17 rebounds.
Staley said that the university will be petitioning for another year of eligibility. The star was crowned the nickname "Big Mama" by the team for her motherly poise and presence.
“Big Mama did her thing,” Staley said. “She's playing extremely well and composed, and I thought she did a great job for us just anchoring on both sides of the basketball.”
What's next?
The Gamecocks will prepare for the SEC Tournament in Greenville, South Carolina, and attempt to win their fourth straight title. The tournament begins on March 4, but due to winning the regular season crown, the team will not play until the quarterfinals on March 6.